Altinex MT100-102 User Manual

MULTI-TASKER™

MANUAL PART NUMBER: 400-0361-002

MT100-102

20-SLOT MULTI-TASKER™

ENCLOSURE

USER’S GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PRECAUTIONS / SAFETY WARNINGS..............2

GENERAL..........................................................2

INSTALLATION..................................................2

RACK-MOUNT INSTALLATION.........................2

CLEANING.........................................................2

FCC NOTICE.....................................................2

ABOUT YOUR MT100-102 ..................................3

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS...........................3

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION ..................................4

INSTALLING YOUR MT100-102..........................5

OPERATION ........................................................5

RS-232 CONNECTION......................................5

MULTI-TASKER

RS-232 PROTOCOL..........................................6

USB CONNECTION...........................................6

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE .............................6

CARD CAGE IS NOT WORKING ......................6

CARD IS NOT WORKING .................................6

ALTINEX POLICY ................................................6

LIMITED WARRANTY/RETURN POLICY..........6

CONTACT INFORMATION ................................6

1

MULTI-TASKER

PRECAUTIONS / SAFETY WARNINGS 1

Please read this manual carefully before using
your MT100-102 20-Slot Multi-Tasker™ Enclosure.
Keep this manual handy for future reference.
These safety instructions are to ensure the long
life of your MT100-102 20-Slot Multi-Tasker™
Enclosure and to prevent fire and shock hazard.
Please read them carefully and heed all warnings.

1.1 GENERAL

• Qualified ALTINEX service personnel, or their

authorized representatives must perform all
service.

1.2 INSTALLATION

• To prevent fire or shock, do not expose this unit

to rain or moisture. Do not place the MT100-102
in direct sunlight, near heaters or heat radiating
appliances, or near any liquid. Exposure to
direct sunlight, smoke, or steam can harm
internal components.

• Handle your MT100-102 carefully. Dropping or

jarring can damage the unit. If the MT100-102 is
not used for an extended period, disconnect the
power cord from the power outlet or turn off the
main connection.

1.3 RACK-MOUNT INSTALLATION

• Use only ALTINEX supplied MB1003 rack-

mount ears for mounting the MT100-102 into a
rack.

• The maximum operating ambient temperature is

35ºC (95ºF).

• When installing the MT100-102 into a rack,

distribute individual units evenly, otherwise
hazardous conditions may be created by an
uneven weight distribution. This will reduce heat
build up and will prolong the life of the
MT100-102. Power should be connected using
provided 3-prong power cord only. Furthermore,
make sure that the rack is properly grounded.

1.4 CLEANING

• Unplug the MT100-102 power cord before
cleaning.

• Clean surfaces with a dry cloth. Never use
strong detergents or solvents such as, alcohol
or thinner. Do not use a wet cloth or water to
clean the unit.

1.5 FCC NOTICE

• This device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference that may cause
undesired operation.

• This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and if
not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation
of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference
at his own expense.

• Any changes or modifications to the unit not
expressly approved by ALTINEX, Inc. could void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

2

MULTI-TASKER

ABOUT YOUR MT100-102 2

MT100-102

Multi-Tasker™ 20-Slot Enclosure

• Empty card-cage with 20 slots available

• Basic foundation of Multi-Tasker™ solutions

• 2U high, full rack wide

• Rack ears included

The Multi-Tasker™ 20-Slot Enclosure, MT100-102,
comes with a front panel installed. However, the
front panel MT101-110 must be ordered
separately.

For applications in which the Multi-Tasker™ needs
to be controlled using front panel buttons, the
MT101-110 with 36 user-programmable buttons,
offers a great deal of flexibility in user control.
These buttons may be programmed to control all
functions of the front panel and individual system
cards.

The buttons offer removable transparent faces,
allowing access to removable labels for easy
identification of programmed functions.
Non-volatile memory protects the programming
during power-down. Programming is accomplished
through one of two 9-pin RS-232 ports. One port is
located on the front of the unit and the other is on
the back panel.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 3

FEATURES/

DESCRIPTION

GENERAL
RS-232
USB Standard
Compatibility

Table 1. MT100-102 Electrical

MECHANICAL MT100-102

Weight (without cards) 12.5lbs. (5.66kg)

Width 17.4 in. (442mm)
Depth 12 in. (305mm)
Height 7 in. (178mm)

Available Slots 20
Back Panel Black
T° Operating 10°C-35°C
T° Maximum 50°C
Humidity 90% non-condensing
MTBF (calc.) 40,000hrs

Table 2. MT100-102 Mechanical

ELECTRICAL MT100-102

Power Input

Table 3. MT100-102 Electrical

MT100-102

5-pin Terminal Block

(GND, RXD & TXD)

Cards designed for the

Multi-Tasker™ System

85VAC - 264VAC

@ 50/60Hz

The MT101-110 may be computer controlled
directly from a computer terminal or through the
use of the front panel buttons.

3

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 4

MT100-102 FRONT

MULTI-TASKER

PANEL

MT100-102 REAR VIEW

4

MULTI-TASKER

INSTALLING YOUR MT100-102 5

Step 1. Connect the power entry connector of the

MT100-102 to the power outlet with the

provided power cord. The power supply is
universal and will work throughout the
world with voltages from 110V-240VAC.

Step 2. If a control system is used to control the

cards in the MT100-102, connect either
the RS-232 port or the USB port of the
MT100-102 to the control system's
RS-232 port. See Table 4.

The 5-Pin terminal block connects as
shown in Figure 1.

Connector on

Multi-Tasker™

GND (Ground) Ground

RXD (Receive) Transmit

TXD (Transmit) Receive

Table 4. MT100-102 RS-232 Control

NOTE: Make sure that the transmit pin of the

control unit is connected to the receive pin
of the MT100-102 and the receive pin of
the control unit is connected to the
transmit pin of the MT100-102. See
Figures 1 and 2.

Computer or

Control System

In this section, "Basic Enclosure" or "Unit" has the
same meaning. The basic enclosure is a complete
and independent card cage that has a controller
and 8 slots for plug-in cards. Each unit or basic
enclosure has its own Unit ID that is based on a
number from 0 to 9. Each plug-in card also has its
own Card ID that is a number from 1 to 20.

6.1 RS-232 CONNECTION

If a control system is used to control the cards
in the MT100-102 Multi-Tasker™ Basic
Enclosure, connect the RS-232 connector of
the
MT100-102 to the control system's RS-232 port.
To connect the Multi-Tasker™ (MT) to a
computer or a terminal, you must have the
proper interface cable. Alternately, the USB port
may be used instead of the RS-232 port.

The RS-232 cable must have the appropriate
connector on each end and the internal wiring
must be correct. Connectors typically have 9
pins (DB-9 connector) or 25 pins (DB-25
connector) with a "male" or "female" pin
configuration. See Figures 1 and 2 for pinout
details.

Step 3. The unit is now operational.

OPERATION 6

The MT100-102, along with the MT101-110 or
MT101-111 front panel, has many advanced

remote control capabilities, which are accessible
through standard RS-232 communication. The
controlling can be accomplished through a
computer, a control system, or any device capable
of sending RS-232 commands. The factory
settings for the RS-232 port are 9600 baud, 8 bits,
1 stop, and No parity.

Commands used for MultiTasker cards such as
[ON], [OFF], and [IO] that end in "S" will be saved
to memory. Commands not ending in "S" will still
be executed but will not be restored when the
system is reset (power off & power on again).

Figure 1

DB9 to Terminal Block Serial Connection

Figure 2

DB25 to Terminal Block Serial Connection

5

MULTI-TASKER

6.2 RS-232 PROTOCOL

The RS-232 protocol for the MT100-102 uses a
simple ASCII character format. See the
MT101-110 and MT101-111 Front Panel User
Guides for Multi-Tasker™ commands and
formats.

6.3 USB CONNECTION

Up to 10 MT100-102's may be connected
together using the USB LOOP OUT and USB
LOOP IN connections on the back of the
MT100-102. Connect one MT100-102 to the
control system or computer. Then, connect the
LOOP OUT connector of that unit to the LOOP
IN connector of the next unit. Use the LOOP
OUT and LOOP IN connectors in this manner to
connect the remaining units.

CAUTION: Do not connect the LOOP OUT or

LOOP IN connectors to the USB
PORT as damage may occur to
the input card.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 7

We have carefully tested and have found no
problems in the supplied MT100-102; however, we
would like to offer suggestions for the following:

7.1 CARD CAGE IS NOT WORKING

7.2 CARD IS NOT WORKING

Cause 1: Card cage slot has a problem.

Solution 1: Test a card in other slots of the card

cage. If the slot was damaged, the
card may work in other slots. If other
slots work, the problem is the card
cage slot. The card cage may
require service. Call ALTINEX at
[phone]. If the other slots do
not work, see Solution 2.

Solution 2: Take any other known good card

with an LED and verify that the slot
used is good by seeing if the other
card’s LED lights in that slot. If it
lights, then the original card may be
the source of the problem. Call
ALTINEX at [phone]. If the
original card was not the source of
the problem, see Cause 2.

Cause 2: Card is not plugged in all the way.

Solution 1: Push the card in all the way. If the

card still does not work, see
Solution 2.

Solution 2: See the troubleshooting section of

each the card's user guide or call
ALTINEX at [phone].

Cause 1: Card cage is not plugged in.

Solution: Plug the card cage in. If the card

cage works, the problem is solved.
If the card still does not work, see
Cause 2.

Cause 2: The input power voltage is

incorrect.

Solution: Make sure that the input power

range is within 85-264VAC and also
make sure that the power is
connected to the input power
connector. If there is still a problem,

call ALTINEX at [phone].

ALTINEX POLICY 8

8.1 LIMITED WARRANTY/RETURN POLICY

Please see the Altinex website at

www.altinex.com for details on warranty and

return policy.

8.2 CONTACT INFORMATION

ALTINEX, INC

592 Apollo Street
Brea, CA 92821 USA

TEL: [phone]
TOLL FREE: 1-800-ALTINEX
WEB:

E-MAIL: [e-mail]

6

www.altinex.com